Early Morning Rumors
by queen misanagi
Summary: Third installment in Daytime Series. After a chat at the cafe and a series of controversial phone calls, what happens to our very confused detectives, thief and the girls in their lives?


**Disclaimer**: I don't own Magic Kaito nor Detective Conan.

**Author's Notes**: This is the third installment in _Daytime Series_. First one is _Afternoon Chat_, second one is _Midnight Phone Calls_. I originally wanted each story to stand alone and I think I've been somehow successful with the first two. This one, however, was… Well, I had a hard time trying to make it a stand-alone because here were a lot of references to the first two stories. Anyway for those who're not aware of the first two stories, do read them or you can read this first. Setting is after the fall of Black Organization and Shinichi has returned to his true form and everyone is friends! 

Like the first two stories, this is of a different genre. The first one was kind of dramatic, the second was a comedy and this is kind of dark.

Do review. I think my grammar improved a bit.

o o o

_Early Morning Rumours_

_(Hattori Heiji's Awakening)_

Hattori Heiji woke up to the phone's dead tone. He had a hangover but was not quite sure how he got it or how come he was lying on the floor of Beika Hotel's twin bed suite.

He reached for his mobile phone that he usually places in his pocket, but it wasn't there. As he lay still beside the foot of the bed, he tried to feel the areas on the floor his arms could reach but still, no phone. He groaned and closed his eyes.

There was a knock on the door.

He tried to ignore it.

The knocks grew louder.

Groaning some more, he stood up and answered the door.

It was a tall, blonde boy with an owl perched on his right shoulder.

Heiji frowned at his colleague and friend, the detective from Britian, Hakuba Saguru.

"Oy, Hakuba, it's so early – "

The blonde smiled. "It's almost noon, Hattori, and I apologize for what I'm about to do next."

Before Heiji could react, he felt a prick on his neck, just above where his collarbones meet. Instantly, his body felt compelled to gravitate to the ground as his eyelids grew heavy.

The blonde detective smiled.

"I realize I couldn't afford you knowing my secret," the blonde detective said.

Twenty four floors below, two teenage girls, much acquainted with these two detectives, were close to figuring out that very secret.

o o o

Toyama Kazuha has just finished her fourth cup of dark coffee.

"I wouldn't believe it, Ran!" she said to the long-haired girl seated in front of her. "Iie! Iie!"

The two were in Beika Hotel's ground floor bar, where they have spent breakfast and the last four hours contemplating certain troubling events the past month, which included Kudou Shinichi's proposal to childhood sweetheart Mouri Ran, Ran's refusal, the boys' apparent cold treatment to the girls, a series of odd phone calls the night before and the messages in Hattori Heiji's phone, which seems to be the key in unlocking untold secrets.

The long-haired girl Kazuha is talkting to is Mouri Ran herself, regional Karate champion and daughter of famous detective Mouri Kogoro.

"I know our own investigation of Heiji's phone led to the conclusion that he and Hakuba may have some sort of secret affair… I mean Hakuba's text 'Let's make this our secret' is a bit ominous, ne?" said Ran. "But it can still mean other things, I suppose…"

"We shouldn't have stolen his phone!" said Kazuha. "And yeah, I wish there was some other explanation."

"Hai, let's wait for him to wake up," said Ran.

"But what about the other weird messages from Kaito and Shinichi?" asked Kazuha. "Do you think this has something to do with your engagement to Shinichi?"

"There is no engagement! I didn't say 'yes', remember?"

Kazuha rolled her eyes. "I still don't get why you turned him down. You're just paranoid to think Shinichi is in love with Kaito and that the feeling is mutual!"

"And do you really think that Heiji and Hakuba is having an affair?" asked Ran to change the topic.

"Maa…" Kazuha blushed. "I never suspected it, but… I think it's also possible that Hakuba may have a one-way love for my Heiji."

Ran giggled. "You really want a scenario where Heiji still likes you, ne?"

Kazuha blushed even more and nodded. "Ano, Ran, we still haven't figured out who impersonated Sonoko last night."

A pair of high heels walked to their table.

"You mean, who called Ran last night and leaked info why you rejected Kudou by imitating the voice of the great, beautiful, lovely Suzuki Sonoko of the Suzuki zaibatsu?"

The girls looked up and saw the very person in question.

"Whoever that us should have captured the sweet tenderness of my voice that can melt the hearts of the coldest men," continued the heiress of the Suzuki zaibatsu.

Sonoko was in her bright yellow sundress with matching shades. She pulled a chair and sat beside her friends.

"Gomen, I'm late. There was a sale in Touto Mall," she said as she raised both hands adorned with colorful paper bags labeled with designer boutiques. "So did you find out who impersonated me?"

Rank shook her head. "I actually accused Kaito last night but Kazuha-chan reminded me that Kaito taught the boys how to change their voices last simmer. So it can also be Heiji, Hakuba-san or Shinichi himself."

"I told you waaaay before to get a caller ID!" said Sonoko.

Then for the first time that morning, Hattori Heiji's phone rang. The caller was Kudou Shinichi.

Kazuha started to panic. "What do I do? What do I do? He knows I stole the phone! He knows it!"

"ANSWER IT!" said both Ran and Sonoko.

"Moshi, moshi, Kudou-san – "

"Heiji, where are you – Oh, Kazuha. Is Heiji with you?"

"Iie. Doshite?"

"I'm in your hotel room. The phone's off the hook, the door was open and no one's here," said Kudou Shinichi.

Both Ran and Sonoko inched towards Kazuha so they can both hear the conversation.

"Ano, ano, maybe he's in the bathroom?" supposed Kazuha. "He was still sleeping when I left him so he's probably awake now and taking a – "

"Kazuha, listen to me – I checked everywhere. No one's here."

o o o

Hattori Heiji opened his eyes. His arms were bound on his back as he lay on a stone-cold floor of what looked like a medieval cellar. Heiji's eyes widened as he saw a large, black pot in the middle of the room.

_I'm an ingredient for a witch's potion_, he thought_. I must still be dreaming_.

He heard voices approaching he room. He closed his eyes and pretended to still be asleep.

"A potion to forget just yesterday?" asked a female voice – deep, sultry and deadly-sounding.

"Hai, Koizumi-san," said the voice that he recognized belonged to the blonde detective. "Just that darned, bloody day."

The door creaked open.

"I do have some of that potion but we have to make a bargain."

"Whatever you wish, my lady," said Hakuba.

Discreetly, Heiji opened an eye. A girl with jet black hair, pale skin but very beautiful was wearing a black gown. She was standing beside the pot. Beside him was the detective; the owl nowhere in sight.

"Let me think… What do I want the most?" said the girl. "I want Kuroba Kaito's weakness."

Hakuba Saguru took the girl's hand and kissed it. "How our plots coincide, my lady. As you wish. I will deliver him tonight."

"Him?"

"You see, Kuroba Kaito's weakness is Kudou Shinichi."

Heiji stopped himself from gasping. In an instant, his hangover was gone and the memory of the day before flooded him – eating with the Hakuba, Kaito and Shinichi at the café, where Shinichi told them that Ran rejected his marriage proposal. He also remembered those crazy, midnight phone calls which involved a rumor and a confession. The rumor is that Shinichi and Kaito may have romantic feelings for each other. The confession is that Hakuba is in love with Kaito. Unfortunately, it was Heiji whom Hakuba confessed to about his feelings for Kaito.

The detective of the west's deduction prowess enabled him to come to the conclusion that he will be given some sort of drink by the witch girl so he could forget everything he knows about this conundrum.

The witch walked to a cupboard and took out a vial with green liquid.

"Just one drop on the left eye," said the witch as he handed the vial to the blonde detective.

Hakuba approached Heiji.

_Now is the time to move_, said Heiji to himself as he opened his eyes. He tried to stand up but was unable to do so.

"Oh, I see you're awake," said Hakuba, crouching. "You're paralyzed from the neck down, unfortunately."

He took out a familiar-looking watch. "Kind of borrowed this from Kudou. I also have to thank Haibara-san for adding a paralyzing feature. Very useful, you see."

Heiji spat at Hakuba. "Why are you doing this, Hakuba? Just so I can forget you like Kaito and then you'll give Shinichi to this witch and have Kaito all for yourself?"

"Yes and no," said the blonde detective. "Not just that."

For only the second time in his life, Hattori Heiji was genuinely scared.

Hakuba smiled. "Time for your eye drop."

o o o

"The tapes were tampered with. The video of the hall didn't show anyone going inside the room nor leaving it," said Kudou Shinichi.

The detective and the girls were walking back to the hotel lobby after viewing the hall videos of Kazuha and Heiji's floor. They've also looked everywhere in the hotel for Hattori Heiji to no avail.

"See, this is what happens when you steal mobile phones," said Shinichi to Kazuha.

"But we just borrowed it a bit because we wanted to know – " Kazuha started but was interrupted by Ran and Sonoko's glares.

"I wanted to know if he was cheating on me," said Kazuha.

"Maybe he ran off with his lover, ne?" Sonoko teased.

"Lover?" asked Shinichi.

Before any questions were answered, a white bandana materialized above Shinichi's head. It twirled by itself into a shape of a blindfold and descended to cover the eyes of the detective.

"KAITO!" they all whined.

There was a _poof!_ and a cloud of white smoke. When it dispersed, a boy that looked very much like the detective, only with scruffy hair, appeared.

"Always making an entrance – manifestation of an obvious need for attention and daddy issues," said Shinichi as he was taking off the blindfold.

"Magicians are born attention whores. It's part of our flamboyant nature. And oi, that daddy issue was resolved, ok?" said the magician as he grabbed the bandana from Shinichi's hands. "So what's up?"

The girls looked at one another with much unease.

"Ano…" started Kazuha, but was cut by Shinichi's message alert tone.

He read the message for a while and excused himself. "It's Hakuba, asking if I can go to the HQ to help him out with a case. Call me if you hear from Heiji."

The detective started to walk away. Ran grabbed his arm.

"Shinichi, let's talk after you've finished helping Hakuba-san," the girl said.

The detective nodded and bid farewell. Ran's eyes followed his figure as he walked to the hotel exit. She had an all too familiar foreboding feeling.

A hand squeezed her shoulder. It was Kaito's.

"Don't you worry, Ran. If that detective is half as smart as I am, he'll be back before dinner," Kuroba Kaito said.

Another hand grabbed her other shoulder. This time, it was the violent grip of Kazuha.

"Now can we focus on Heiji again?" she asked. "He's still missing, just so you know."

"He's missing, too?" asked Kaito.

"What do you mean 'too'?" asked Kazuha. "Is someone else missing?"

Kaito shook his head. "Not really. I've been looking for Hakuba the whole morning and turns out he was just busy with a case in the HQ."

Sonok sneered. "You have the same IQ as that deduction geek and it didn't even occur to you to visit him in the HQ or call him?"

Kaito blushed. "His phone was dead and I didn't have time to go to the HQ. I was also talking to Aoko this morning."

"Oh yeah, she came back this morning from her study tour," said Ran.

Kazuha and Sonoko started teasing right away.

"You guys were 'talking'? Is that what they call it now?" asked Sonoko.

"After not seeing her for a long time, did you really just 'talk'?" asked Kazuha.

Kaito's face was scarlet. "Stop it, guys. We really did just talk. I needed to tell her something…"

Sonoko started to twirl around while holding an imaginary cape. "Aoko-chan, let me steal your heart!"

"Iie! Nothing like that!" said Kaito, face still red. "Ne, aren't we supposed to look for Heiji? Why don't you lovely girls tell me all about what happened this morning in Heiji and Kazuha's room?"

With that, the magician and the girls headed towards the elevator. The teasing did not cease.

o o o

There was a knock on Koizumi Akako's mansion door. She ever usually answers it but this time, her intuition tells her that she must.

"I was expecting you, Nakamouri-san," said the witch.

The girl, her classmate, had bloodshot eyes and cheeks still moist from tears.

"Akako-san, they said you're a… I never really believed it, but… Maybe you can…"

The witch smiled. "Tell me what you want, child."

"I want Kaito back."

o o o

Kudou Shinichi wasn't really going to the headquarters. Hakuba Saguru's instruction was to go to his house or else he'll tell Ran the secret he shares with Kaito.

It was intrigue rather than fear that lead his feet to the Hakuba mansion's front porch. Shinichi was let in by a butler, who directed him toward the library, where Hakuba Saguru was waiting.

He opened the door and Hakuba was seated on an armoire in front of the fireplace.

"Kudou Shinichi," said the blonde detective. "It seems like I need something from you."

o o o

"WHY DID YOU BREAK UP WITH AOKO?" screamed Sonoko as they arrived at the fourteenth floor of Beika Hotel.

"She's the perfect girl! Maa, I'm the perfect girl, but I mean, perfect for you!" said Sonoko.

"Anyone who can put up with you deserves a medal, really," said Kazuha. "Heiji and Shinichi are a handful but you… You're a completely different life form."

Ran, who remained silent the whole way up, suddenly spoke. "Is it because you love someone else?"

Kaito looked away. The four of them stopped in front of door 1413. Kazuha swiped their room card on the door reader. The room opened. She gasped upon seeing a dark-skinned boy sleeping on one of the beds.

They all ran to the bed. Kazuha jumped on the boy and started slapping him.

"BAKA! HEIJI, BAKA!" she screamed. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

Hattori Heiji slowly opened his eyes. "Woman, if you wanted to abuse me, you should have just said so," he said.

Kazuha blushed as she quickly got off Heiji's lap. She crossed her arms and continued saying "Baka!"

A very groggy Hattori Heiji sat up. "Why are you all here? What time is it?"

Sonoko hit him in the head with her paper bags. "Oh nothing, you've just been missing for the past six hours or so," she said. "And if my brilliant deduction is correct, you were in another room with your lover."

Heiji frowned. "Lover? What are you talking about?"

"Maybe you should try explaining the messages in your phone, first," said Ran as she looked in her bag for Heiji's phone. "Oh, we left it with Shinichi…"

Heiji frowned. "What are you talking about? My mobile's right here – " he tried to feel for his mobile phone in his pocket, where he usually keeps it.

"Chotto! What lover are you talking about?" asked a very confused Kaito.

"Oh, that…" said Sonoko. "Maa – "

Heiji pointed at Kaito. "Aren't we supposed to meet today at the café? Kudou said he has something important to tell."

Kaito took one of Sonoko's paper bags and hit Heiji again on his head. "Heiji I don't know what drugs you're taking but it's not very admirable for someone about to enter the police force. And we had that talk with Shinichi and Hakuba yesterday!"

Heiji massaged his temples. "My head feels weird."

Kazuha suddenly ran to Heiji's side and hugged him. "Baka! The important thing is that you're here now."

Heiji smiled and hugged Kazuha back. He looked at the clock then back to his friends. He closed his eyes. "But I feel like I need to remember something important…"


End file.
